A row of fruit can be much more costly than a bag of apples
October 5th, 2009Contrary to previous announcements, the South Sydney Leagues Club intends to reinstate poker machines in the Rabbitohs Club in Redfern. However, they are also pushing for approval of a large supermarket on the ground floor of the building. The Greens City of Sydney Councillors see the decision on pokies as a betrayal of good faith by the club and are determined to prevent the supermarket going ahead
This is a whole new business model to the one presented to us in 2007 when the South Sydney Leagues Club Board voted to accept a proposal put forward by the South Sydney Football Club to have the club poker machine-free.
We viewed the plan for a supermarket in the building in good faith because we were told there would be no pokie den right there where people will be doing the grocery shopping. It will be very tempting for patrons to spend the grocery money on trying to get a win on the pokies.
Recent comments by the Leagues Club Chairman, Bill Alexiou-Hucker, that the club had only agreed to investigate banning poker machines, is at odds with the Leagues Club website which states….’The SSLC Board voted by a 4-3 majority to accept a proposal put forward by the South Sydney Football Club (SSFC) which will see the club become poker machine-free in Redfern.’
Mr Alexiou-Hucker is also quoted on the website in 2007 saying “We’re looking forward to working on a poker machine-free club…..’ ‘We will not only have a club that is more family friendly and more welcoming, but we will again be working with the Football Club, that represents this district, to provide the best support for the community.”
Mr Alexiou-Hucker’s recent comments and accusations that councillors did not understand the difference between the two clubs and who voted for what, is an attempt to justify this last minute push to sneak the evil of poker machines back into a venue that would also be servicing a family’s grocery shopping needs.
My Greens colleague Cr Irene Doutney, who lives three blocks away, was bitterly disappointed with the Club’s decision to reintroduce the poker machines and lack of consideration for the social impacts of the development.
Her comments are below:
“The Club has not taken into account the social impact of putting a supermarket under a gaming and liquor establishment. This is a very disadvantaged area with thousands of low income residents, many of whom have gambling and alcohol problems and this development could really compromise them when they go shopping.
For years there was only the one little supermarket and corner shops, now there seems to be a supermarket proposal on every corner from the same old players. What the residents of this area want is the proposed Aldi store in Phillip Street, which will offer some cheap alternatives.
The Club has not done a social impact statement or considered what would happen to residents and the local businesses in Chalmers and Redfern Streets or the IGA a few blocks away.
This is a diverse and resilient community that has faced many social problems in the past and is in the throws of regeneration and the Club needs to think in this context. We just don’t need this sort of short-sighted development that is only interested in its own income stream and maximising profits rather than supporting the community and its vision for the future.”
